Patrick Stump ‘Soul Punk’: Fall Preview

Starbucks is selling Pumpkin Spice lattes and brand new shows are taking over your DVRs, so you know what that means — it’s Fall! And with the change of the seasons comes a crop of new music for your aurel enjoyment. Though Patrick Stump himself isn’t new to the scene — he put out five studio albums as part of Fall Out Boy, and released a 7-track EP earlier this year called Truant Wave — he’s taking a big risk by dropping his first full-length solo debut. Find out what’s in store on Stump’s Soul Punk in our Fall Music Preview.

ALBUM: Soul Punk (Island), his first full-length solo LP.

RELEASE DATE: October 18.

SINGLES SO FAR: “This City”, with Lupe Fiasco on the remix (as well as in the single’s video).

ALBUM PRODUCERS: Just Patrick. He produced every track on Soul Punk, and though that may be a daunting task for some, this is nothing new for Stump — he’s already produced several other albums, including LPs from Cobra Starship and Gym Class Heroes.

Stump’s first full-length release without his band is a true solo project in every sense — Patrick not only handled all producing efforts, but he wrote and composed every song, sang all lead and backing vocals, and played every instrument on the album himself. (You can see a bit of his process in this captivating video of Stump practicing a music technique called “looping”.)

WHAT TO EXPECT: We almost think he should have named his album Soul Pop, since there’s a clearer mix of R&B and catchy pop hooks than anything explicitly punk (or as pop-punk as your typical Fall Out Boy song). Tracks like “Bad Side Of 25″ and “Explode” are just a few of the tracks able to blend his sensual, bluesy falsetto with his loud-and-proud power-belting. More than anything, we bet you’ll hear a a heavy influence of Michael Jackson on the LP — which is no surprise, considering his recent covers of The King Of Pop’s tunes.

GROUP TO SOLO: “I’ve been wanting to do this every year for the past ten years,” Patrick told us of releasing a solo project. Though there’s always been a variety of musical influences apparent on Fall Out Boy tracks, particularly on their last two albums Infinity On High and Folie A Deux, Stump wanted to truly broaden his creativity without changing his band’s sound too much. “Maybe getting my outlet for R&B and pop and some art rock stuff and some jazz stuff and some soul… that’s another major reason why I’m doing this. Hopefully I get my jollies out doing this.”

IS THAT YOU?: Yes, that’s him. His pre-solo look consisted primarily of hats, muttonchops and specs, but in the last year, Stump majorly slimmed down and snazzed up his wardrobe — regular performance outfits consist of tight-fitting suits, fingerless gloves and close-cropped hair. He’s basically transformed himself from a low-key dive bar punk to a Brandon Flowers-type glam-rocker.

TOUR PLANS: Patrick embarked on a small club tour across the country over the summer, and will spend his Fall out on the road with Panic! At The Disco. (Peep the tour dates here.)

OUR THOUGHTS: As part of Fall Out Boy, we never doubted Patrick’s talent as a musician, but he always seemed buried in the background while bassist Pete Wentz did most of the talking and promoting. Finally out on his own, we’re happy to see Stump rise to the occasion with a commanding presence and some killer pop material. It has yet to be seen how he’ll fare on the charts as a solo act, but you seriously have to respect the man brave enough to do everything — and we mean everything — by himself.